Returning Home
by HeroofTwilight'sgf
Summary: Alice's life isn't easy, having to raise a child on her own after her boyfriend, Lync Volan, walks out on her during her pregnancy. But when he comes back wounded, will she accept him back? Or will she leave him along? AUish please R&R


Returning home

"Momma! Momma! Wake up!" A girlish voice insisted loudly. My body was shaken roughly and my eyes snapped open, groggily taking in the energetic child kneeling next to me on my bed. I sighed and slowly sat up, rubbing my tired eyes.

"Morning, my precious girl." I yawned. "What do you need?"

"Momma, look! It's snowing!" The girl's emerald green eyes sparkled as she ran to the window, pointing emphatically at the white, glistening ground.

"Yes, it is, honey." I smiled amusedly.

"Can I go play outside, Momma? Can I?"

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"Momma! I'll eat breakfast later!" She whined. I chuckled.

"All right, go get dressed, and we'll go outside, okay, Darci?"

"Yeah!" My beautiful little girl beamed at me before she dashed to her room, mane of pink hair streaming behind her. My heart caught in my throat as I remembered another person with the same hair color, who was just as dear to me, and who was the reason I had my little Darci.

"Stop thinking about that, Alice." I berated myself as I trudged around my room, throwing off my night clothes and pulling on random pieces of clothing I found. I was now 21 years old, living back in my old home, from back when I had been a part of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers, with my five year-old daughter, Darci Gehabich.

"Momma! _Hurry up_!" Darci whined.

"Okay, I'm hurrying. Do you want to see if Uncle Ace and Aunt Mira can come over?"

"Yeah!" I chuckled at my daughter's childish impatience. She certainly did take after her father… Snap out of it, Alice. Don't think about that. Just pick up the phone and call Mira.

"Hey, Alice!" Mira picked up after three rings. "What's up?"

"Darci is quite excited that there is snow on the ground and was wondering if you and Ace could come over." I explained.

"Sure! I'm sure Ace will be glad to see his 'niece' again." Mirth spotted my fellow redhead's tone of voice.

"Great!" I grinned. "See you in a few!"

" 'Kay." I ended our conversation with the click of a button and turned to my rather impatient daughter, who was rocking from foot to foot while she was waiting.

"Momma! Hurry up!" She huffed.

"I am, honey. I was just seeing if Uncle Ace and Aunt Mira could come. You know that." I explained patiently.

"Are they coming?" Darci chattered excitedly.

"Yes, dear." I smiled. "They should be here in a few minutes."

"Yay!" Without waiting another moment, my pink-haired angel had opened the door and had run into the winter wonderland that was our front yard. "Momma, come on!" She called energetically. I smiled warmly and reassuringly at her before stepping foot into the glistening, white snow. It had been at least five years since I had been out in the snow to play. Ever since…_he_ left…

A loud cry of joy filled my ears as my daughter ran head-on towards Ace and Mira Grit, my two best friends from New Vestroia, affectionately dubbed "Aunt" and "Uncle".

"Aunt Mira! Uncle Ace!" Darci greeted loudly, hugging first Mira, then Ace.

"Hey there, kiddo, how ya' doin'?" Ace asked, tenderly ruffling her hair.

"Uncle Ace, I'm not a kiddo anymore!" Darci protested. "I'm five now!" Ace chuckled.

"You'll always be Uncle Ace's kiddo."

"Even when Aunt Mira has her own?"

"Even then." Ace promised. Mira glared at her husband, which melted to a loving expression when Ace sent a wink her way. They truly had come a long way from the two gangly teenagers who refused to admit their love for each other I knew all those years ago. While Ace and Darci began to build a snowman, Mira stepped carefully through the snow over to where I stood.

"Hey, Alice." She greeted quietly. "How're you feeling?" Normally, most people would say nothing…but not me.

"Not so good." I admitted. "She reminds me so much of him…" My lower lip quivered into a pout while my eyes filled with hot tears. Mira patted me gently on the shoulder.

"I know how you feel." She said quietly. "I felt that way the whole time Keith was 'missing'." The tears spilled unbidden down my cheeks. Mira wrapped her arms around me in a comforting manner, while I cried into her shoulder.

"Momma? Are you okay?" Darci asked in her cute, little-girl voice. I looked up at her, only to burst into more tears. Snow clumps hung from her clothes and hair, reminding me even more of her father.

"Hey, Darci? Why don't we let Aunt Mira talk to your mom while we have a snowball fight?" Ace suggested. Darci beamed at the prospect.

"Okay!" She happily began to pack snow into balls and throwing them at Ace while Mira ushered me inside.

"All right, spill!" Mira insisted. "What's brought on all these tears all of a sudden?"

"Darci's father." I answered, hanging my head.

"Her father? You mean…?"

"Yes. Him. Lync Volan." Mira sucked in a small breath.

"He's been gone…five years now? Why can't you get over him yet?"

"I don't know, Mira." I admitted. "There was just something…special about him that drew me to him, I guess."

"Well, I can't help you there." Mira grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I always thought he was a big pile of scum."

"Mira!" I giggled childishly. "That's so mean! I can't believe you thought that!"

"Hey, it's not my fault he not only had a high, squeaky voice, but also couldn't figure out which side he wanted to be on!" Tears of mirth streaked from her eyes, and she wiped them away impatiently.

"That is true…" I agreed, sighing at the thought of that man I had cherished. The man that I _thought _loved me. The man that walked out on me right before Darci was born.

"What would you do if he came back out of nowhere?"

"Honestly? I don't know whether I would cry or slap him or what."

"Wow…so violent, Alice." Mira winked. "Let's hope he doesn't come around anytime soon." We both laughed at the ludicrous idea. A loud shriek escaped Darci's lips as we watched Ace stick some snow down her pretty blue dress.

"Stop it, Uncle Ace!" She cried. "It's cold!"

"You think I'm going to give you mercy because it's _cold_?" Ace teased. "Well, then, you thought wrong!"

"Ace, be gentle with the child!" Mira scolded. Ace sent a scowl her way, as well as a wink. Mira blushed heatedly, and I laughed. Ace made his way to the house and stopped just inside the door, leaning against the frame. He sent his famous, rare grin at his wife, who was quite red at this point.

"All right, enough with the lovey-dovey stuff." I reprimanded sternly.

"What'cha gonna' do about it?" Ace asked in mock defiance, jutting his chin out sharply.

"Ace," Mira stuck out her tongue at him. "Be nice, for once." A teasing smirk quirked her lips.

"Aw, c'mon, Mira!" Ace whined. "I hate being nice."

"You guys are crazy, just so you know." I notified them.

"Yeah, yeah," Ace waved his hand. "That's what they all say."

"Well, they're all correct." Mira stated piously. We all laughed at the contradiction she had just posed.

"Uh, Momma?" Darci called from the yard.

"What is it, honey?" I called, a smile on her face.

"There's a man that just collapsed in our yard." Darci informed me. "I think he's hurt." I flew past a startled Ace and a puzzled Mira, making my way to my daughter, who was crouching next to the man, who was lying face-down. I crouched beside her and cautiously began to turn the man over, only to stop.

"Momma? What's wrong?" Darci asked me. I stared openmouthed at the man in front of us. My eyes were fixated on the lock of pink hair that peeked out from under his green beanie hat.

"No…" I muttered. "This can't be. It just can't be!"

"Alice?" Mira called. "Are you okay?" I tried to form words, but nothing coherent sprung from my lips. Tears unknowingly spilled down my face.

"Lync?" I whispered through my tears. "Is it really you?" The man coughed and stirred, lifting his green eyes weakly to meet my brown ones. A small smile lifted the corners of his lips.

"Hey, Alice." He croaked. "Long time, no see, huh?" He chuckled, and then grimaced, coughing loudly and harshly.

"Ace?" I called, my voice a higher pitch than normal. "Can you come help me?"

"Sure." A look of concern passed through his grey eyes as he stooped down to pick Lync up in his arms. The infamous Volan looked awfully frail and thin to my eyes.

"Momma, you know this man?" Darci asked incredulously.

"Yes, I do." I gulped. "He's…your daddy." I quickly turned and followed Ace into the house, unable to meet my daughter's confused stare.

"Oh my gosh…" Mira murmured as Ace set him down as gently as he could on my couch. "I didn't even think he would come back…"

"Me either." I replied grimly, noting the blood that pooled from Lync's body. "I need to figure out what's wrong with him."

"Gunshot wound…to my arm…" Lync mumbled.

"Which arm?"

"Left…"

"Mira, go get me the gauze and a wet towel, please."

"Coming right up."

"Ace, go get Darci and occupy her until I'm done."

"On it." I gently smoothed back some of Lync's hair from his damp face.

"You're a very lucky man, Lync Volan." I murmured. "If you hadn't of come when you did, you would've probably died from blood loss." His lips twitched into the barest of grins.

"That's what I'm good at." He joked weakly. At that time, Mira returned with my requested items, and I set to cleaning out his wound, Lync wincing and groaning the whole time. I then wrapped the gauze around the still-bleeding wound in his forearm.

"We'll take you to the hospital later." I mumbled as I carefully got up, throwing the sopping wet rag, stained with blood, into my washer. "Right now, though, Darci will probably want to see you." Right on cue, Ace and Darci burst into the house, giggling and laughing. Lync's emerald eyes softened at the sight of my pink-haired angel.

"Well, Ace and I best be going." Mira announced, grabbing Ace's wrist and dragging him briskly, the latter complaining the whole way down the driveway. The three of us sat in silence. Finally, Lync spoke up.

"Well? Are you gonna' introduce me to my kid or not?" An amused smile made its way onto his lips. I gently picked Darci up and settled her into my lap.

"Darci, this is your dad. Lync, this is your daughter, Darci." Darci stared bashfully at the carpet. Lync's right hand came up and gently cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"She's so beautiful…" He murmured. "Just like her mom." A hot blush crept across my cheeks, causing me to lower my gaze.

"Darci, why don't you go play in your room so I can talk to Daddy?" I suggested.

"You sure, Momma?" She asked suspiciously. At my nod, she hopped off my lap, shooting a pointed glare at Lync before skipping off to her room.

"She's so much like you." He mused.

"It's a shame you didn't stick around to see her." I spat out coldly. He winced.

"Look, Alice, I'm sorry for walking out on you guys like that." He apologized. "It was a big mistake. If I could go back in time to that specific moment, I would never leave."

"Well, you can't." Angry tears pooled in my eyes. "Do you know how hard it was to raise a child _and_ work a job _and_ try to pay bills?" The tears sprung from my eyes unbidden. I buried my face in my hands, my shoulders shaking from my efforts to stop my tears.

"Alice-"

"Do you know how much you hurt me when you left?" I whispered. "How abandoned and lonely I felt?" Sobs began to spew from my mouth. An almost-imperceptible creak came from the couch, and then his arms were around me. I buried my face in his shoulder and cried for what felt like a long time. His face rested in the crook of my neck, his breath heating my skin.

"Alice, I'm sorry." His voice was raw and husky with emotion. I sniffled, and then brought my head up to stare at him. His emerald eyes sparkled with unshed tears, glimmering with an unspoken emotion.

"Lync…" I started in a wavering voice. He leaned forward, cautiously placing a kiss to my temple.

"Please…Let me start over." He beseeched. "I want to make it up to you."

"It's not up to me, Lync." I told him shakily. "It's up to Darci." His face fell.

"Momma? I'm hungry." Darci announced, prancing into the living room happily. When she saw my red face and Lync's teary eyes, she stopped, eying us curiously. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, sweetheart." I gave her a loving smile. "But how about we let Daddy make you lunch?" Very quietly, Lync drew in his breath, waiting silently. Darci cocked her head to one side, considering her options.

"Okay!" She answered happily, skipping to the kitchen. "Come on, Daddy! Hurry up!"

"I'll be there in a second, Darci." Lync called, sweeping me into his arms and spinning me around. I began laughing.

"Lync! Put me down!" I whispered.

"Thank you, Alice." He murmured into my ear.

"For what?"

"For giving me a second chance. A chance I'm not going to blow this time." He pulled back, grinning from ear to ear. Then, very gently, he leaned in and gave me a quick peck on the lips. I blushed heatedly.

"You better watch yourself, mister." I teased, pointing an accusatory finger at his face. He just kept grinning and gently kissed the tip of my finger.

"Or what?" He challenged. I looped my arms around his neck.

"Or else I might fall in love with you all over again." I whispered.

"Too late." He whispered back, leaning in for another kiss. His lips were soft against mine, and I melted against him, knowing full well that he was right. His hands gently rested at the small of my back, one running up and down my back.

"Daddy! Momma! Hurry up!" Darci called impatiently from her place in the kitchen. Lync and I drew apart smiling.

"We're coming, sweetheart!" Lync called. My heart warmed in my chest at the affectionate way he talked to her, as if he had helped raise her. He gently entwined his fingers with mine. "I just need to ask Momma a quick question." He added. I stared at him curiously.

"Lync? What do you mean?"

"I just wanted to know…if you'll let me stay here."

"Of course." I answered confusedly.

"I meant…for the rest of my life." He stuck his other hand deep into his pocket and drew out a blue velvet box, blushing. I gasped. Lync gently let go of my hand and got down on one knee, opening the box to reveal a simple ring, embedded with a single diamond.

"Alice Gehabich, will you marry this pitiful excuse of a man, and put up with me for the rest of our lives?" He asked me. Tears filled my eyes. I flung my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"Of course I will, you silly man." I choked out through my tears. Lync grabbed my left hand and carefully slid the ring onto the appropriate finger.

"Thank you, Alice." He whispered again. He took my hands in his, helping me stand up and entwined our fingers once more.

"It's about time! I almost died of hunger!" Darci huffed when we stepped into the kitchen.

"You'll be okay, squirt." Lync said, ruffling her hair affectionately. I smiled at him tenderly. He gently slipped his hand out of mine and went scrounging around the cabinets for food to make Darci some lunch.

"Yay! Food!" Darci squealed happily.

"Alice, you want anything?"

"No thanks. I'm not hungry." I flashed a winning smile at Lync, heat pooling in my stomach when he sent me one back.

I could get used to this, I mused as I watched our daughter and Lync bicker with one another. My life had finally returned to normal.

_** Dear reviewers,**_

_** If you are reading this, thanks a bunch! I love this pairing so I was experimenting with this and I hope you like it! FYI, this is also my longest one-shot so far! Yay! ^.^ Please R&R and I hope you enjoyed. Hasta Luego!**_

_**-HeroofTwilightsgf**_


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